Wireless automatic meter reading systems are well known. Typically, each utility meter is provided with a battery-powered encoder that collects meter readings and periodically transmits those readings over a wireless network to a central station. The power limitations imposed by the need for the encoder to be battery powered and by regulations governing radio transmissions effectively prevent direct radio transmissions to the central station. Instead, wireless meter reading systems typically utilize a layered network of overlapping intermediate receiving stations that receive transmissions from a group of meter encoders and forward those messages on to the next higher layer in the network as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,107. These types of layered wireless transmission networks allow for the use of lower power, unlicensed wireless transmitters in the thousands of end point encoder transmitters that are deployed as part of a utility meter reading system for a large metropolitan area.
A challenge faced by utilities and consumers in attempting to reduce energy consumption (gas and/or electric) as well as water consumption, is the lack of access to real-time data on the part of the actual consumer of the amount of actual energy still being used once the consumer has attempted to conserve energy or preserve water consumption. For instance, it would be of value to the consumer to know the immediate economic impact of water or energy consumption (gas and/or electric) once the thermostat is turned down in the winter for a few hours, the lights are turned off in the basement when not in use or the impact of water conservation of foregoing watering the lawn for one day. Today's systems eventually provide this information back to the consumer, but not on command by the consumer or real-time.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system for collecting and displaying data from metering units located close to the point of use or consumption. An approach that addresses the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, is therefore desirable.